The Savage Sword of Conan #170

Joe Jusko's painted cover for this February 1990 issue sets the tone beautifully — a steely-eyed Conan grips his sword with both hands while a curly-haired woman wraps her arms around him from behind, the pair framed against a gleaming golden shield. The tension between protector and protected practically radiates off the page, making "Emerald Lust" sound like exactly the kind of sword-and-sorcery adventure this magazine does so well. Charles Dixon and Gary Kwapisz handle the interior story, bringing their own grit to the Cimmerian's latest trial.